Strong and Powerful Kids

by Farley Welch - One with Heart Kids Instructor

You can never tell, in advance, who Pukulan Indonesian Martial Arts will resonate with. Fire Dragons (6-7 year old students) come in all shapes, sizes and temperaments – truly like flowers – each one unique. Our broken-mirror style is clearly visible in these beginning students. One thing they do share with each other is that first step onto the mat. For some it’s natural and confident – another group of kids; sort of done this before. For many, however, you can really feel the bravery they’ve mustered to let go of mom or dad’s hand and line up.

The benefits of Pukulan come through patience. Timing is everything and it is individual. An instructor’s challenge is to engage the students and to patiently wait for them to recognize and tap into their inner strengths. Shyness can hide a genuine fire. Hesitation masks a capacity for perseverance. Kids that just can’t seem to sit still will develop an intense focus. Awkward and uncoordinated movement slowly translates into a smooth grace. Self-consciousness is replaced with a willingness to try.

The benefits of training a martial art are well known and can be enumerated [i], but it is important to recognize that we already possess these natural abilities. One With Heart instructors are taught to bring out the best in our students through movement in a safe, yet challenging, environment that encourages success and self-expression. This mirrors our own training experience. We were not taught self-discipline, focus, perseverance – we simply discovered these traits within ourselves and ultimately translated them into a powerful form of self-expression.

Class structure with a bit of formality, working with partners, perfecting a few simple forms, learning the basics of this beautiful art – these are the tools we use the help Fire Dragons understand the meaning of mutual respect, express themselves in movement and recognize that they are truly strong and powerful kids.